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Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Criminal Records Of Victorian Villains

You certainly wouldn't want to meet any of this lot up a dark 19th century alley.

Records of more than 67,000 Victorian criminals, detailing crimes ranging from petty theft and drunkenness to arson and murder, have been published online for the first time today.

The fascinating collection, released by Family history website Ancestry.co.uk also tells the stories of local peacemakers of the time, including jury candidates and members of the local militia.

And two of the archives - The Dorset, England Prison Admission and Discharge Registers 1782-1901 and Dorset, England, Calendar of Prisoners 1854-1904 - also include mug shots of 19th century convicts.

The records include the criminal's name, place and date of conviction, sentence, physical description and details of previous crimes.

William Parsons, 48, shown posing for a mugshot in March 1891, was put behind bars for 20 years for arson

Frank Treviss, 51, was given eight months' hard labour and two years' police supervision for stealing 'nine bushels of wheaten dust' in 1884

Elizabeth Dowell, (pictured left) who looks older than her 34 years, was landed with six months in jail for perjury in 1890.

Baby-faced soldier George Pill, 18, shown dressed in uniform, stole a donkey, leather halter and steel chain worth £4 altogether in 1894 and was given six weeks' hard labour

Four months' hard labour was seaman George Gotobed's punishment for stealing two 'tame fowls' in 1890. He had previous convictions for stealing a rabbit and a duck, as well as drunkenness and 'using profane language'.

George Parkinson , a soldier, broke into a house in Dorchester at 11pm on June 30, 1892, making off with a haul of tools. He was sentenced to five months' hard labour

A register from 1894 lists crimes ranging from petty theft and drunkenness to arson and murder. The fascinating archive has been release by family history website Ancestry.co.uk

Sarah Rose Edith Westwood , who used three known aliases, was jailed for five years for crimes including unlawfully obtaining by a false pretence a bottle of sherry, six imperial bottles of stout and a pound of biscuits in 1870.

Clerk John Gliddon was given nine months' hard labour for defrauding George John Rendall to the tune of 2s 6d in Lyme Regis on December 13, 1883

The images of William Bennett and George Bull both date back to June 25, 1894, almost 118 years ago to the day

Edward Boman , a labourer, was convicted for stealing ten shillings in 1894 and given one month's hard labour. He had previously been fined the same amount for 'stealing bells'.

Edward Hart stole a donkey worth £3 in 1894, for which he got six weeks' hard labour

Records of more than 67,000 Victorian criminals have been published online for the first time